Trips & Activities
At Arm Around we're dedicated to providing enriching experiences for kids. Join us as we explore meaningful historical sites across Korea, offering interactive, hands-on activities that make learning come alive and spend time with them in various other ways.
2025 Party
2024 Arm Around Gyeongju Trip
Gyeongju also known as the "The Museum Without Walls" is a city in the southeastern part of South Korea. It is known for its rich history and culture as the city served as the capital of the ancient Silla Kingdom from around 57 BC to 935 AD. This long period of prosperity and importance has led to a wide abundance of archaeological sites and cultural artifacts. The city is also home the a multitude of UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto which the Arm Around mentors and children of Hanul School traveled to during this trip. The team also enjoyed various traditional South Korean cuisines.
2024 Arm Around Art Contest
During the summer of 2024, the Arm Around foundation hosted the "Children with Dreams. Children who Dreams" art competition. With the sponsorship and collaboration of the Guro South Korean District; the children of Hanul School and various other schools received library gift cards and 30 unique awards. The Arm Around foundation also received a commendation award from the Guro district.
National Childrens' Day Celebration
On the fifth of May, Arm Around mentors and the children of Hanul school celebrated national children's day by opening presents and participating in various activities. The funds for the presents and activities were collected through the rubber bands that were sold by mentors to school students, teachers, and people who wanted to help out in the streets.
Arm Around Wrist Band Fundraiser
To finance Arm Around's various activities and summer programs, each member reached out to their communities to sell Arm Around wristbands. We produced 200 wrist bands and the purchasers determined the prices. They were allowed to choose the amount they wanted to donate for the wristbands. Arm Around members from Seoul, Jeju-Do, Hawaii, California, and New York were able to provide sufficient donations to keep Arm Around going. Special thanks to the students at Juilliard School of Music and Columbia University for also volunteering to donate to our foundation.
Baekje Historical District Trip
During this trip, the mentors of Arms Around and Hanul School children visited various famous sites and museums located in Baeje. A few examples consist of the World Heritage site, Jeongnimsa Temple. Through this trip, the relationships between the Arm Around mentors and Hanul School children were able to deepen and improve all the while learning about South Korea history.
Korean New Years Celebration
Korean New Year, known as "Seollal," is a significant traditional holiday in South Korea. It is based on the lunar calendar and typically falls between late January and mid-February. Seollal marks the beginning of the lunar new year and is a time for family reunions and ancestral rituals.
During this time the Arm-Around mentors enjoyed the day with the children of Hanul school by making Mandu, a traditional South Korean delicacy consumed during Korean New Years.
Visit and tour the Ganghwa Natural History Museum
Ganghwa Natural History Museum opened in 2015 to help raise awareness of the importance of the environment, which is being polluted by industrialization and urbanization, and to establish correct awareness of nature and life. Ganghwa Natural History Museum exhibits the various minerals and living things that make up the Earth from the birth of the solar system to which the Earth we live is divided into each special theme. Our trip with the Hanul children to this museum further enlightened the children in the importance of preserving the environment properly.
January 2024
Visit and tour of the Ganghwa History Museum
The Ganghwa Historical Museum first opened in 2010 and exhibits the history and culture of the Gangwha region in South Korea. The museum contains a large portion of vital historical South Korean artifacts such as ancient pottery, jewelry, and various plants and bugs native to this region. Through this trip, the children and mentors of the Hanul School were able to further enrich themselves in South Korean history.
January 2024
Tour of the Ganghwa Dolmen Sites
Gangwha Dolmens Sites is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its well-preserved megalithic dolmen structures. The Gangwha Dolmens are located near Incheon and are believed to have been constructed between the seventh and first centuries BCE. They are believed to have served as burial markers or tombs. With the students of Hanul School and its mentors, we traveled to these Dolmen sites to further enrich our minds of the sacred and uniqueness of South Korean history.
December 2023
Christmas Party at the Hanul children's school.
October 2023
Visit to Korean Demilitarized Zone(DMZ)
The students of Hanul School, many of whom have parents with disabilities, went on a field trip to the DMZ with the high school students of Arm Around. This journey was not only to explore the historical and geopolitical significance of the Demilitarized Zone but also to spark an opportunity for the children to connect with a broader narrative of hope and unity. The dedicated teachers and faculty members who traveled with the Arm Around students also gave their insights into the DMZ and the cultural nuances that have shaped the Korean Peninsula. The trip was a very impactful and memorable trip not only for the Han-eul children but for us, Arm Around students.
Free Market for Hanul School Children
To receive sufficient funding and materials for this event, the members of Arm-around and I reached out to each of our schools for donations towards our foundation. Donations from teachers, various other students, and parents blessed our organization and allowed us to provide a plentiful amount of clothing, daily school materials, and toys for the Hanul children. In total, we were able to raise a total sum of $1700.
Hanul Center and Disabled Citizens Donation
July 2023
Tidal Flats Experience in Yeonpo Beach
Against the backdrop of the serene Yeonpo Beach, the Hanul School children, joined by the mentors of Arm Around, enjoyed an exciting and enriching field trip of the fascinating tidal flats. This experience allowed the students of Hanul school to further bond with the Arm Around mentors through a mututal love of nature and shared adventures of clam hunting, swimming, and learning.
With the help of enthusiastic educators, students were able to engage in hands-on activities in the tidal flat's ecosystem, allowing a deeper appreciation of the environment and understanding of how the coastal environment works.
The shared laughter and newfound knowledge between the Hanul children and Arm Around mentors became lasting memories for all of us. This field trip shows the power of mentorship and the long-lasting bonds forged through shared exploration and success.
September 2023
Chuseok songpyeon activity
Chuseok, also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day, is one of the largest traditional holidays in South Korea. It is a time when families come together to celebrate the abundant harvest and thank everyone for the year's blessing.
During this celebratory week, Arm Around mentors spent time with the children in Hanul school creating traditional foods such as sonpyeons(left) and jeons(right). By spending time making these traditional foods, the mentors and children were able to learn more about one another and give thanks for everything they have been blessed with in their lives.
August 2023
Hanul School Clean-up(sanitizing and organizing)
During the summer of 2023, Arm Around mentors visited the Hanul school and organized a mass clean-up session. We organized all the books, sanitized the entire classroom, threw away hidden trash and unusable school materials. This freed up a large amount of space and provided the children with a more spacious and aerated learning environment.
